


Miraggio

by Fairy_txt



Series: Miraggio [2]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, First Love, Gokudera is a punk bissexual, Love Triangles, Major Character Injury, Major Original Character(s), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:34:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27670748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fairy_txt/pseuds/Fairy_txt
Summary: Celeste is the youngest heir of the Rosiello Family, problem is: she's a teenage girl. And due to tradition, she cannot become the Boss. Until she meets a skilled illusionist, Rokudo Mukuro, who promises to make her powerful enough so she's can take her place in the Family. He only has one condition: She must help him kill the Vongola heir.
Relationships: Chrome Dokuro/Original Female Character(s), Gokudera Hayato/Original Female Character(s), Gokudera Hayato/Yamamoto Takeshi
Series: Miraggio [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2066172
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!  
> The initial chapter are mostly leaning towards the manga, around chapters 70-81 during the Kokuyo arch. Celeste, Violetta and their family are all OCs. I might post do some art of them later!  
> Also, I'm not really sure about pairings yet. I know I want Violetta to be with Chrome but Idk about Cel yet! I'm thinking maybe Gokudera, Yamamoto or Hibari :D

-“Mum, can I have some?” - The brown-eyed teen said, pointing to her mom’s glass of wine at the dinner table. It’s a quiet rainy night, just the closest family in the reunion, dressed all in black, eyes and face swollen. Her mom, Elettra, just murmured a quiet “yes”. 

They're barely touching their food, and the elders might think the kid, Celeste, and her younger sister, Violetta are just too innocent to realize what has happened to their family, both kids are working hard trying to calm their nerves. It's been quite a long day for the Rosiello Family. 

The death of one of the candidates to inherit most of their parent's possessions and their place as the 9th Boss of the Rosiello Family casts a chaotic set for them. In this reunion, there's a couple of male cousins, Fredo and Ferdinando, who came from a nearby city at the snowy countryside of Italy, the whole situation became a competition between the younger men. 

You see, there’s this funny tradition in the Rosiello’s, since the 1st boss, he has set that women can only be part of the administration, assassination, and nursery issues. But never a boss. Which makes delicate times like this a bloodbath between the men. 

Celeste and Violetta were never really their father’s favorites because they would not become heirs of his work within the Mafia. Causing him to spend more time with the cousins since they were little kids. He does love the girls, though.

Innocent child whispers and a giggle played for a moment in that cloudy, gray dinner. Celeste, the older one asks again, after she finished her meal: 

\- “Mum, Dad, is it ok if I go play with Violetta now?” 

Father just sighed and said yes with his head, as he played with his food. Mother stood quiet, waiting for his answer, and just then opened a restrained smile. 

They left in silence, so the adults could resume their own quietness and dining, so at the moment they left the room they started to run in circles around the mansion, laughing and playing hide and seek: 

-” Cel, do you think Dad will be mad at us? For leaving earlier...He wanted you to talk with Fredo so you can start training, right?”- Tiny Violetta said, looking up at her sis, she was small for her age and a bit overweight, her black lacy dress had some stains from the dinner before and had gorgeous blue eyes and curly brown hair as well. 

-” Nah, better leave the adults alone. How do you know about my training, Lil’ Miss Know-it-All?” 

-” You know Cel...The walls have ears in this house.”- The kid crossed her arms in victory, her cute face smiling in mischief. -” And also, you’re talking in your sleep a lot these days.” 

-” Oh you little...” - Cel went out to get her, arms wide open in threat of receiving terrible tickles. Violetta giggled and screamed as she ran to safety from the tickle monster. 

-“They’re such a disgrace to me, Elettra. I just hope when the girls grow up they either become hitmen or good mothers like you...What will we do? Should I start Celeste’s training earlier because of this chaos?” 

Celeste was too curious, after running around so much she decided to rest a bit and sat by the dining room’s entrance just to have a chance of hearing gossip she wasn’t allowed to know yet. The conversation was muffled by the closed ebony door, her cousins where promptly giving solutions to their elder, yet she could hear Elettra’s calm voice: 

-” Maybe you could speak with the others if anything happens to Fredo and Ferdinando...Celeste will be our only candidate at the right age...” 

Celeste could hear her Father getting angrier and even felt her heart tight in her chest, as a silverware made a loud noise against someone’s plate. 

\- ”I will pretend you never said this, my love. Now, please go to bed, we will have a long night discussing the next boss.” 

The girl, who was way past her bedtime jumped onto her feet, ready to run as the doors would be opened soon. But she felt her heart ever so tightened, heavy in her chest, she could not move. The sorrow was just too devasting for such a small body. 

Looking down, the fancy floor was soaked in blood. 

-” Mother? Mom!” 

She cried into the night. Opening her eyes again, her chest was still heavy but now she could, at last, sat in the bed, her dyed dark blonde hair made in a flimsy bun. She was not in the mansion of her dreams anymore, with her little sister, I’m not ten again, she thought, looking around the trashed room she was sharing with M.M, a redhead girl who was sleeping peacefully next to her. 

Celeste felt tears forming in her eyes, her throat on fire like someone had cut the skin in there, breathing heavily as she went to the small balcony to take some air, and calm herself down looking at the stars and the bright full moon. Someone tapped her shoulder, giggling: 

-” Having trouble to sleep? Or is it the dreams?” 

-” I had a dream with my mother again.”- Examining closer to her face, Celeste saw a red gleam in M.M’s right eye. - ”When will you let me see her outside the realm of dreams, Mukuro?” 

He gave his signature laugh, breaking the illusion of M.M’s body and revealing his angled face and deep indigo hair, as she learned how to develop her own illusions, sometimes Celeste could see them through him. 

-” You really are a smart one, aren’t you, Celeste? You’ve always impressed me.” 

She scoffed, crossing her arms, after living with him for a few months his humor became more cynical. 

-” Answer the question.” 

-” After we do this one last job, Celeste, I will pay you with a relaxing trip to your mother’s place in France.” 

She tried so so hard to fake a normal reaction, how did he know about her location? It was always so hard trying to outsmart the illusionist, even when she could see his illusions. 

-” Oh, my dear Celeste.” -He laughed again, giving her a compassionate smile and putting his hand on her shoulder. -” These walls have ears, you know?” 


	2. Smoking Skills

###  Chapter Text

The deal Celeste had was pretty simple; it became quite normal to get spying jobs after Mukuro saved her life, she would get excited with the adrenaline and get every bit of information she could, like looking up at the classes lists from the beginning of the year that was laying around at the entrance, for example. Gokudera Hayato. One of the candidates in Fuuta’s ranking, though, the name seemed familiar from back when she lived in the mansion…

Ignoring all of the memories and thoughts that started to erupt in her mind, she went to the nearest place from his class, a patio.

Usually, dealing with information was easier than killing, though she did the latter just once, it was more of an obligation with her new boss, to prove her value, than anything else. But not this time, however, as her fist clenched in anger, searching for the target just before the last class of the day at Namimori School. 

With the Discipline Committee too busy getting beaten and dividing themselves in patrols around the small city, it wasn't really a problem stealing from the school's lost and found and getting herself a brand new uniform to blend with the crowd. It would be easy to stalk any of the big-fish targets from Fuuta’s rankings to know them better, even with just their names and a brief description. 

To speak of the devil, the grey-haired kid just showed up around the corner in the patio, late for his class and frowning as if he was in a bad mood. Bet he was, there was a mystery going on he could not put his finger into it. Knowing him just from the brief information passed, the only clue she had was his position in the Ranking, name, and that he's always smoking. 

She would make such a good actress, sticking up a cig from her pocket and pretending to search for a lighter around; in her bag, skirt, blouse, cardigan. Damn, nothing! Then, she smiled at the stranger and asked if he had a lighter. 

He muttered something, rolling his eyes and still frowning, but decided to help her out. She gave her thanks, taking a puff from the cigarette: 

_ "You're Gokudera Hayato, aren't you?"  _

He looked at the figure a bit confused, dressed in a Namimori uniform, it was hard to tell if there was something off since he'd never seen that girl smoking or along with the delinquents, she did have a sidecut hairstyle and attitude, though. Before he could answer, her voice, dry from the smoke, interrupted: 

_ "I have business with you. I need you to listen carefully to me, I don't have much time."  _

_ "What?"  _

Breathing heavily from the anxiety and adrenaline combined, murmuring so no one would listen to them: 

_ "You're a target too. I will try to help th-..."  _

_ "What? I don’t even know you, crazy woman!"- _ He yelled, ruining her low-profile stats.

_ "Helping y-... Look, doesn’t matter: Someone will be stalking you after school, he-..."  _

_ "Haha. Bet they will, fuck off."  _

Hayato had just enough of all that nonsense, what would that woman know about anything related to the Vongolas? He started to walk faster to avoid such a weirdo. 

_ "The tenth boss of the Vongola Famiglia is in danger, Gokudera. It's your own risk."  _

He turned around, his lips clicking  _ “Tch” _ to show his annoyance. But, in reality, this caught him off guard, that weird person had a deadly serious look in her eyes, however, Gokudera preferred to not give his surprise away and continued to walk to class, though he was trying to solve this riddle.  _ How in the hell did she know that? _ Puffing her cigarette again, the smoke around them dancing in the air, was she another enemy or she just had the right information? The dynamite kid needed some time to think whether that girl was actually from the mafia and if the information was true. 

_ "We’ll meet again, don’t worry. Name’s Celeste Rosiello.”  _

Celeste was kind of bluffing. But, his name was too familiar, if he was from a famiglia, he would know, if he wasn’t then she’s just some weirdo. Maybe they were just kids when they met each other in a mafia party with their parents or saw each other at a funeral. Afterall, it was such a small world.

With all of his yelling and the weird looks from the students, it was better off to just leave the school at once before Celeste caught more attention from them, or worse, the school’s director. It would be too much to explain, She thought, hiding in a bush just before running towards her exit. Once her feet touched the ground after hopping over the school’s walls, a voice laughed at Celeste, startling her.

-” Aren’t you late for class?” - Ken gave her a large grin. -” What were you even doing there? Smoking with students?”

_ ” Oh, I’m trying to quit. It’s a complicated habit.” _ She tossed the cigarette in a dumpster nearby.  _ ” Trust me, Ken. Got a few yen from his pocket while the dumbass was distracted. He’ll need to go home eat or something, with luck we can discover his house location as well. Then I’ll attract him to our place onc-.”  _

_ ” It’s not your place.” _ Ken hushed. Even if Celeste had a debt with Kokuyo and Mukuro, they weren’t simply accepting some mafia heir trash. She sighed. 

_ ” Whatever you do, if this goes wrong I’ll kill you.” _

_ ” That’s very kind of you. I’m going back there, mine or not.”  _ Putting her hands in the cardigan’s pocket, she marched to the nearest bus stop to Kokuyo Land. They would have visitors soon.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_ “You wanted to see me?”  _

Celeste just walked in from behind the curtains, a strange smell of cherry blossom in the air and dried blood soaked in the wooden floor. The abandoned cinema was large, she wondered what could have happened to that guy the gang was chasing, Hibari Kyoya.

_ “Dear Celeste…” _ \- Mukuro laughed, sitting comfortably on the red old sofa like he owned the place, which he did: 

_ “Why were you in Namimori High School?” _

_ “I wanted to gain information about Hayato Gokudera and other higher-ranking positions.” _

He did not look at her, still admiring the red painting on the floor with his arms crossed, letting a humm come out of his lips. 

_ “What happened to that guy, Hibari, anyway?” _

_ “Oh. I nearly killed him, he’s hiding somewhere now I think, or maybe Chikusa took the trash out.” _

The illusionist smiled, just now turning to look at her cynically. Her situation with Mukuro would only get messier and messier, as she was still from the mafia. 

He took extra care to make sure she wouldn’t stay on their way: 

_ “But tell me, Celeste, you do think I’m stupid don’t you?” _

“ _ Hum, no sir? I was just wondering, honestly, when you’ll let me see my mother. It’s been a few months since we discussed this...” _

He laugh louder now:  _ ” You don’t get it, Celeste? You see, all mafia must die. Thought you were getting used to our idea, what a disappointment…” _

Her whole body shook in horror. This wasn’t right, his promises were all lies. Nothing really new, but still terrifying. How am I going to escape now that he’s mad at me? Mukuro stood upright beside her, his figure much taller and dominating the space.

Instincts kicking in, Celeste quickly moved her feet backward and got ready to fight the illusionist.

_ Shit, my weapon is in the- _

Too late for overthinking as his fist met her stomach. She needed to act faster, if he was able to choose not to kill Hibari Kyouya, then she was just another toy waiting to be broken. Being able to hold his hand, Celeste’s hands started to turn into pale blue ice, with small cold flames coming out of it. A trick she had developed with Mukuro himself, Manifestations, they named it.

It was just enough to make him flinch in pain and anger, just enough for her to retrieve her pocket knife rapidly, the flames and ice in her hand becoming bigger and powerful. With a movement of her fingers, the ice accommodated itself on her fingers like sharp razors. 

Celeste jumped into his face, aiming towards his red gleaming eye. While he was distracted by the sharp ice, her pocket knife went straight into his ribs, Mukuro let out a guttural cry of pain as his clothing started to turn red, yet he still remained tall on his feet and held her wrist, ignoring the pain the cold flames caused on his hand. 

Her body went to the ground with a loud stomp, aching as she slowly realized her wrist was broken and didn't have any time to plan her next steps as the illusionist punched her face. Celeste could hear the impact of the strong hit and the pain burning her skin, but tried to stay awake for more time, perhaps just enough to tricking him and running away? She started to feel sleepy, all of the thoughts and plans of survival that were so alive in her mind started to become dull and quiet as her eyes closed. Then her whole world became pitch black, and somehow, that was way worse.

As she slowly regained her consciousness, she found herself in a much warmer place and the grass around her was green and breezy, a valley full of flowers as if the day she met Mukuro never really went away. It made her blood boil.


	3. (Un)dead Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter from the manga: 76-77, just in case you wanna revisit :)  
> I ended up diving this 3k word chapter into two parts so the story flows better.  
> Also, maybe this part is a little bit confusing because it's staged in a illusion, so I've ended up by mixing some dialogue and narrator parts so it's not clear what is happening inside Celeste's head.

Candles lightened around the place, a crowd dressed in black silently watching the ritual for the one they had lost. She looked down, weirdly enough her body felt smaller, though she knew it wasn’t. She felt the presence of all the people reunited in that white church, but she just knew none of them were there. 

_“I am the resurrection…”_

It was a bit like an overly edited movie, parts of scenarios that she has seen before being embroidered together with faces, crying whispers, and Bible citations mixed with the smell of incense and something old.

_“And has sent us to heal the brokenhearted…”_

The priest’s voice was quite muffled like he was inside an aquarium. Well, Celeste never really gave much attention to these traditions. 

_Resurrection, how ironic_.

 _-” Stay quiet during the mass, Cel, think of your poor father.”-_ She heard her mother’s silent voice, and felt a hand gently touch her shoulder. But looking up, as her body was smaller and vulnerable now, all she could see was a figure with no face.

As soon as the figure appeared, the crowd vanished into the church’s corridor like it was made of dust, leaving behind just a piano, and a tall grey-haired man. She never has seen an illusion do that, her body started to shake with the thought that maybe Mukuro wanted to play with new thematics just to make fun of her attempt to escape. For a while, a harmonic melody was played by the man who hummed along with the song, she could not see his face, he wore a school uniform. Now it was her turn to touch the stranger’s shoulder, she felt curious to know what Mukuro was preparing for her psychological horror journey. 

_-” You need to wake up…”-_ The man said, or did Celeste simply thought out loud? Strangely enough, he had a face. Green monolid eyes, and a serious expression forming on his lips. 

His words made sense to her, well, yes, she needed to go back home, to her sister, her mother, and The Rosiello Family. Though her plan would only be possible under the wing of a prestigious family like the Vongola, that if Mukuro hadn't... _Killed them already._

Celeste’s knees went to the wooden floor, shaking, her hands protecting her eyes as the illusion of the church was partially gone and somewhere else started to form around her. But she didn’t bother to look at it. 

_Is it really worth it to come back? And if Mukuro already won? Even if I wake up, maybe my only destiny will be becoming a toy, so he can hurt more people_.

She squealed and cried under the thought of him using her to finish hurting her family, wasn’t everyone thinking she was either dead or disappeared enough? Everything Celeste wanted now was for Mukuro to finish with this already, it was so tiring, she hugged her knees feeling overwhelmed.

_Maybe if I just lay here and wait for it to end…_

She heard birds chirping, it was pleasantly warm, the smell of coffee mixed with cake. Celeste could recognize this everywhere: The expanse garden where she would meet with her mother or just to breathe a little and secretly have cake after training. She couldn't listen much of the conversation, though.

The scene kept playing in front of Celeste, it was weird to see herself from a year or so before, she missed these little moments by her mom’s side. Her younger self sighed deeply and crossed her arms pouting. Present-time Celeste gently put her hand in the tree’s trunk next to her, smiling sadly. After this short meeting with her Mom, she would go talk to her father about going to Japan. She deeply wished this never happened, the accident with Ferdinando. 

While the scenario around her was still green and full of life, her memories would keep bringing her back to the day that she died. Ferdinando was her company, driving her from home to a small town. By the end of the day when they were going back home the cousin started to play his cards, he wanted to please his future boss, probably his brother Fredo. Until he lost control of the car, which ran crazily in an empty street until it hit a wall.

They both died from the impact, Mukuro told her, dressed in white as they were surrounded by a field full of flowers. But she was...A special one. 

If she accepted Mukuro’s terms, she would be able to get out alive, and once she disappeared for a couple of months, she would be powerful enough to confront the family. He promised, holding her hands with a gentle smile.

Mukuro just forgot to say that “confront” meant getting rid of. 

_That damn bitch. I should have known._

It was too much of an easy way out, though. But if the terms were never accepted, she would be dead that very day. Afterward, the only thing Celeste can remember is to wake up in a hospital bed, having her wounds healed while meeting Mukuro in flesh for the first time. He had such a threatening aura, even when being gentle and offering her a place in the gang, Kokuyo. She would have to travel to Japan with them. 

At first, the idea seemed off, a bunch of weirdos and psychos in costumes traveling to meet the new Vongola Boss. 

_-“Your family is too weak, and…”- Mukuro proudly grabbed her hand, showing for the first time the new power she had, the Flames flickering in her fingers. - “ Celeste, do you want to come back now? I will help you to develop this special Flame but you must work for me...And we are going to kill the 10th Vongola Boss.”_

Killing the boss of the most powerful family she ever heard of? For a long time, they were heroes and allies, until her Grandfather became Boss. Nonetheless, she agreed to work with them. Not being the most honored choice, but still, it seemed like agreeing was her _only_ choice at the moment.

As they trained shortly before starting the mission, she found herself to be a useful tool for discovering information and sneaking into places. How would they get fake IDs, passports, and such for traveling? The stolen information, false documents, and a bit of illusion made the trick.

Though, her choice and loyalty deliberately got tested. Knowing a bit about the extensive organization of the Vongolas, Celeste thought that, well, if by chance she made contact with them maybe it would be a chance to be under their wing.

_Gunshots._

Heard from somewhere, but at the same time, it felt like they were fired right in that hospital room, while she was talking to Mukuro and he kindly held her. A high pitched noise resonated in her ears, hands cupping them to muffle the sound and her brown eyes shut tight. Weirdly enough, it wasn’t that dark even with her eyes closed. A beaming light, but from where?

Suddenly, her wrist and face started to hurt again, it became harder to breathe as if she was underwater this entire time. Unfamiliar voices started to whisper in distress substituting that irritating noise from the shot. Looking around, vision still a bit blurry, she could see a skinny brown-haired boy and a child in a black tuxedo and hat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please remember to leave a comment or constructive critique!


	4. (Un)dead Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you wanna revisit the manga I checked out the 76-77 chapters to write this!

_Are they even real?_

She also could see a figure laying on the floor, a figure in green military uniform, and a pineapple hairstyle soaked in blood. Slowly getting up, at first, the movement didn’t seem to draw attention from the other kids. Jumping from the stage, once her feet landed the eyes of Gokudera Hayato, and the other two kids met hers.

 _-” He’s finally dead.”_ \- Celeste looked at Mukuro’s body, with a certain relief.

 _-“You! I knew you were up to something!”-_ The dynamite kid, full of wounds gave her a menacing gaze, apparently trying to protect the smaller teen. 

Raising her hands, showing that she’s not on the other side anymore, she drops yet another pocket knife she was keeping in her boots.

 _-” You're lucky, I never hurt girls.” -_ Gokudera hissed.

 _-” Oh really?" -_ She felt a vein pop on her forehead, smiling and standing as still and non-menacing as possible.

Celeste immediately forgets about his comment when she recognizes the child in black, the Arcobaleno. She heard stories from him, as a legendary hitman. On the other hand, she didn’t know anything about the other weirdo who was wearing gloves and a hoodie on a sunny day. 

_-” Reborn, Gokudera and…”-_ She looked at the skinny one, asking for their name. Shyly muttered, indicating the girl behind him as well “Sawada Tsunayoshi and Bianchi”.

_\- "I’m in debt with you for putting Rokudo Mukuro down. My name is Celeste Rosiello Di Santo.”_

Hayato frowned and went to help a woman, who was slowly waking, calling for his help to get up. The Arcobaleno gave her knife back, then wondered:

_-” It was a shame we couldn’t capture him alive. But, what was the dead Rosiello heir doing with a wanted criminal?”_

_\- “Hum, that’s a bit of a long story but I can tell you everything on our way to the hospital.” -_ She stretched the back of her head in nervousness. After all these months working with Mukuro and the Gang, she would have a chance of going back home.

A guttural shriek cut the dialogue, Gokudera had his hands guarding himself, trying to protect his face from being cut again, with a thin line of blood dripping on his cheek. As they were too worried about each other’s wounds neither Reborn nor Tsuna saw Bianchi attacking him. 

Celeste’s body flinched to counter-attack, but Tsunayoshi impulsively grabbed her shoulder. 

_\- “Stay away from her!”_

_\- “Tsuna...It’s just me.”-_ Bianchi smiled as Reborn approached her, touching her face thinking she’d be in a state of shock.

 _\- “Oh Reborn, I wonder what did I do?”-_ Bianchi’s voice sounds kindred as she attacks again. Now aiming at the Arcobaleno who easily got away harmless.

 _\- “That’s Mukuro! He’s in control of her body.” -_ Tsuna pointed out as Celeste dodged in front of him since he was the smaller one and seemed to need more protection.

 _\- “She’s possessed.” -_ Reborn landed into Tsuna’s shoulder. 

Then, Bianchi’s body laughed as if it was Mukuro himself. 

_\- “I have my death wish, so I crawled out of Hell again for you. Tsunayoshi.”_

Her right eye had a red color and a creepy smile on her lips, though it didn’t last much. Bianchi’s body fell apart on the floor as if sleeping. Innocent Tsunayoshi promptly worried tried to get closer to her and help. The weapon she held fell alongside, Celeste couldn't help but notice a strange aura to it, maybe Gokudera thought that too, so he was trying to pick it up. Celeste quickly kicked the dagger he was reaching into the distance, no one needed that anyway.

_\- “Leave this thing alone.”_

_\- “T-That’s not him.”-_ Tsuna stuttered, letting out a shriek. 

If he never pointed it out, Celeste wouldn’t see a familiar red brightening Gokudera’s right eye. He smiled creepily.

\- _“Oh, I guess Sawada is smarter than you Celeste.”_ -They giggled. - _“Fascinating, you’re the only human who ever figured it out.”_

 _\- “Reborn, please call an ambulance for them.” -_ Celeste’s voice broke, the despair taking in.

Quickly she got shoved into the ground by Gokudera, as they were attempting to reach the cursed dagger and then rolling her body on the floor to dodge his punch. 

_He wants me to be out of the game._ She realized, running her hand to his ankle and freezing it tight to the ground, stopping him for maybe some minutes. Her Flames worked in a similar fashion, with a well-suited weapon bigger would be her Flames and agility.

 _\- “Tsuna, it’s the dagger! Don’t let him take it!”_ \- A piercing pain runs across her already wounded face as Gokudera kicks her, still lying on the ground.

Celeste brings her ice-cold flames into her face, trying to cauterize her bleeding nose while scanning the room for an improvised weapon. 

A metal tube from the building’s structure will do, Grabbing it as fast as she could, then realizing that Gokudera already reached the dagger. They both stopped in their places, Celeste tapping the tube against her palm and trying to think of a way out while bluffing.  
_\- “You’re scared of me? That I was able to stab you before?”_

He’d just laugh, or they or whatever was happening in Gokudera’s body. 

_\- “The Hyoui Bullet should have been forbidden, possession was unethical even for the Mafia.” -_ Reborn stood between both, staring deeply at Mukuro’s red-eye. - _“How did you get this? Only someone with a strong spirit and an affection towards the bullet could use it. Plus, all of its stock was destroyed.”_

 _\- “I don’t do small talk, Arcobaleno. I have full control of this body, now, from their thoughts to toes are mine and I’ll do whatever I want with them.”-_ He mocked, cutting lightly a line on Gokudera’s neck with the dagger.

 _\- “So you used Lanchia to kill his own family with the bullet, didn’t you?”_ \- Reborn insisted, not flinching at the sight.

 _\- “Why didn’t you use this on me to kill the Tenth Vongola Boss, Mukuro? Wouldn’t that be easier for you?”-_ Celeste stepped up, trying to make sense out of this situation, she only met Lanchia a few times and had no idea what Reborn was talking about, 

_\- “You’re my very best test subject. Like a little white rat.”-_ Giggled.- _” Cel. Weren’t you just lucky enough to survive? You were lucky enough to stab me but useless that you are only made a scratch.”_

 _\- “Stop it! The both of you!”_ \- Tsuna burst, tired of seeing everyone getting hurt, this strong intuition inside him saying they would be next.

_\- “I never imagined you to be such a crying twink. You’ll be possessed next. Then with the Vongolas in my hands, I’ll soon have my revenge.”_

_\- “What?”-_ Both teens seemed confused since they have never done anything to Mukuro who rolled his eyes in annoyance. 

_\- “No small talk, remember? I was a test subject, and now Cel is mine. For you, Twink, I have greater plans. We’ll be the death of all Mafia.”_ \- He grinned at Tsuna, who let out a cry of fear.

 _\- “...Tsuna. I know this is awkward and we just met but I feel like if I don’t stupidly risk my life for you I’ll never forgive myself for bringing this man to Japan.”-_ Celeste briefly looked behind her shoulder to greet Tsuna, though before he could protest she was already running towards Gokudera’s body.

Gokudera threw the dagger towards her, quickly protecting herself by swinging the metal tube in the air. It landed on Bianchi’s hand, just as the other body simply dropped like a puppet.

She sighs, he’s such a show-off with his scary powers. It becomes a racing tournament, Bianchi goes after Tsunayoshi, who’s shaking in fear while dodging and asking her to stop it. As he falls to the ground, hands covering his face and eyes shut, Celeste can reach the older girl and strike a hit on her knees, making her fall. 

Things seemed to get even crazier after Bianchi touched her weapon, slowly transforming it into something else, maybe stinky food. Celeste started to wonder if it was another illusion or if that was Bianchi’s power. Throwing away her weapon, meaning her Flame power would be less effective. Bianchi grinned in mischief as she started to blow attacks.

Celeste is able to dodge and use the support she has from the wooden floor to encage Mukuro’s legs again, though it seems like they already learned this trick by stabbing the ice trap, she quickly moves again to reach behind Bianchi’s back, grabbing her arms as she tries to nudge Celeste. Soon her upper body was almost fully covered in ice and Bianchi simply stops struggling. 

Maybe taking yet another stupid decision, Celeste uses an old technique she learned during training years as a kid to break a leg without causing much damage. That way it would be harder, perhaps, for Mukuro to use her body. 

While Celeste does that short operation, the main door of the old theater swings open. The two shadows emerging are quite familiar, Ken and Chikusa. Before she can even blink, an enormous force pushes her forward and then to the floor, all Celeste can see is a blur and hear Tsuna screaming overlapping hers. 

That enormous force was the black-haired guy, Hibari, who doesn’t seem well and shoves his own body down, muttering something before being unconscious again. Just then she realizes the impact brought herself and Tsuna closer to Ken and Chikusa, both with that red gleaming eye. 

Mukuro is being merciless with them, even when she was officially in the gang he’d never really hurt her physically, but now everything is different.

 _\- “Four different possessions simultaneously!”_ \- Reborn pointed out while dodging attacks from Chikuza’s flying needles. By the moment, it seemed like even a legendary hero like him was getting more and more worried.

_\- “Holy shit!”_

The ground starts to break, tremble and glow as lava erupts and fills the room with smoke and heat. Tsuna reaches for his hair in stress, crying. Is there anything they could do? Her breathing starts to feel heavy for her chest like there’s too much air or too little, Celeste can’t tell if that’s all a dream or reality anymore. Celeste can feel Tsuna getting closer to her, probably needing support from someone. She can hear his voice muffled as if he’s inside an aquarium and a high-pitched noise in the back of her head playing. There’s so much going on around them, she can’t even listen to whatever Mukuro is saying, she’s only focused on her irregular breathing and trying to concentrate on anything before her body gives in. The palm of her hand. She feels that someone is trying to pull her away from the lava, and a few drops on her, but it doesn’t burn her hand. Again she remembers that these are 

In fact, it disappears. Her body instinctively moves to wherever the Vongola Boss is trying to push her to, as the place she would have been bombed.

 _\- “The lava is not real.”-_ She tells her new friend, still in shock. - _”Tsuna, maybe we can try-...”_

Her whole body gets thrown away from him, between the smoke and loud noise from the bombing Gokudera emerges with the dagger, she’s too confused to fight well.

_\- “You little rat.”_

With the explosion, the lava, her swollen face, and several wounds, lack of weapons, the uneven breath Celeste knows she won’t stand a chance in these conditions. Her body keeps pushing and blocking the hits nearly like there’s something else controlling her, the Ice Flames doing the work of being an armor around the sensible spots of her figure.

Until she’s tricked again, by a movement from Gokudera she flinches the wrong direction and everything she battled for gets lost. Her dignity to hold herself up is as fragile as her wounded neck, making her breathing even more desperate and her next wounds seem secondary when he is finally able to stab her abdomen. Soon everything gets lost again, into unconscious darkness that seems more welcoming than continuing to fight until exhaustion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter might be kinda short but I swear I will explain all plot points in a bit lol  
> And it might not be clear but the black-haired guy who yeets Cel is Hibari, possessed.  
> also, Cel might be coming across as a "Not all the other girls" type of character but I'm trying to build this stereotype to then break it in further development...I'm determined to finish this story!!


	5. In a heartbeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ordered a comission work with @lcferrarezzi on Twitter, he made a gorgeous drawing of Celeste! Picture will be in the bottom half  
> Also, I slightly changed their ages but kept some like the canon.  
> So it goes:  
> 13 years old- Chrome, Violetta (Celeste's sister).  
> 15 years old - Tsuna, Yamamoto, Gokudera, Kyouko.  
> 16 years old- Riohey, Hana, Celeste.  
> 18 years old- Bianchi, Hibari.

Celeste woke up at 3:00 AM, confused by the constant beep from the heart monitor and by someone snoring in the room, lightened only by the moonlight, the hospital equipment, and a TV tuned in the news channel, but muted. No nurses around, she could only see a cellphone sitting on her bedside table along with some flowers and a note she would read later, maybe it’s a Mom’s gift. Excited and with butterflies on her stomach Cel picks up the phone, flips it open, and gets ready to configure her gift. Once she’s able to reach that part she realizes that there was a notepad, Tetris, a music app installed, and worse. The wallpaper. It was a picture of a tall Japanese guy, Tsuna, and Gokudera.

This certainly wasn’t her phone, Celeste silently retrieves the phone to its original owner, whoever that is. She freezes for a second when she sees the sheets moving and a figure turning on his side, Gokudera Hayato half asleep, slowly opens his tired green eyes and whispers:

_"What the hell are you doing?"_

She ignores him, hoping he’ll think it’s all a dream, and just stares at the ceiling since turning on her side would hurt way too much.

_“Answer me, woman.”_

Shit, shit, shit! She whispers back, afraid the truth would be too ridiculous:

_“Checking out the hours, that’s all.”_

He let out a sarcastic laugh, it made Celeste’s spine chill, afraid he would sound like Mukuro again.

_“You’re his spy then, aren’t you? You’ll gather personal information for Mukuro so he can destroy us.”_ His tone gets louder, angrier, is Gokudera always this paranoid? Celeste wonders, though it makes sense to be cautious around her since she’s a traitor. Just then realizing a cold handcuff trapping her ankle to the bed’s structure:

- _“I told you, I’m not on his side. I nearly got killed by Mukuro why the fuck would I be with him?”_

_\- “What about the goddamn mind control, genius?”_

At this point, their voices would overlap each other in a heated argument until a tired adult showed by the door, cleaning his glasses. 

_\- “Kids, please it’s 3 in the morning…”-_ He puts on his glasses again, and makes a surprised face with an awkward smile: _\- “You woke up, Celeste Rosiello. Welcome, I’m Romario, I need to make a phone call to the Cavallone Boss but I’ll be right back.”_

They stare at each other as he leaves, Gokudera sighs and grunts as he feels forced to sit up and watch the situation develop. He crosses his arms and pierce Celeste with his eyes, as a warning.

_\- “I wonder why Reborn and Dino agreed on letting a spy sleep in our room.”_ \- His voice was still loud, enough for Romario to hear it from another room and make a shushing noise in response, then shortly after coming back.

_\- “Gokudera, let the others sleep, c’mon.”-_ Romario pointed to Bianchi in another room and the other bed on Gokudera’s side, which had a snoring guy. A black-haired, tan-skinned guy. Just like the wallpaper in Gokudera’s phone. - _“Now, Celeste Rosiello Di Santo. Dino will be here in thirty minutes to ask you some questions. If you’re hungry I can arrange breakfast as we do that, oh, and sorry for making you stay awake but this is an emergency and we need to gather these pieces of information.”_

She was quick in her response, motioning the handcuff that bound her to the bed:

_\- “Which Family you speak for? And why would you help me?”_

_\- “That...I speak on behalf of the Cavallone, as I said before. We weren’t sure if you were Mukuro’s ally. But that’s all I can say for now.”-_ Then he started to pick up some kitchen supplies and smiled at the teens. _\- “I will be making your breakfast as we wait for the Boss in another room. Do you guys like scrambled eggs?”_

Dino didn’t seem like the usual Boss figure Celeste had in mind: old man, fancy suit, rings for each finger, and a harsh temper. The Tenth Cavallone Boss was a young blonde man wearing jeans and a white shirt, with a gentle smile towards them, but he still had his weapon of choice -a whip- hanging from a harness on his hips, she noticed. He gave her some time to eat and allowed Gokudera to watch the meeting before shooting his first question:

_\- “I’m sorry to put it this way...But, why are you alive? The last documentation the Mafia had on your name was an obituary with your picture along with your cousin’s. We need to know what happened that day.”_

_\- “Well, it’s awkward. I’ve been murdered by my cousin and Mukuro brought me back to life, I have no idea how, and I still remember everything…”-_ She played with her food a little. _\- “He’ s one of the other heirs, along with his brother, maybe they saw me as trouble for the new generation…”_

_“That’s some bullshit.” -_ Gokudera whispered, gaining a side-eye from Dino. 

_“So, that explains why you’re a Snow Flame user.”_ \- Celeste looked up at him in awe.

_“We named my new powers Manifestations or Flames because they’re a materialization of my Will.”_

“ _Huh, interesting. Maybe Mukuro doesn’t know the exact conclusion of his experiment with you, as he was putting it. There’s very little documentation under Snow Flames, they only show on previous Sky Flame users who died but came back to life shortly after or went through an extreme survival situation.”_

_“Well...I died in a car accident, my cousin started to threaten me, we have an argument and next thing I know I’m being thrown against a wall then everything’s pitch black.”_

_“I’m sorry for that.”_ Dino seems a bit uncomfortable with the whole thing. _“Your cousin Fredo, isn’t it?”_

She nods. _“After, I met Mukuro in a forest. He doesn’t really ask if I want to go back to life, he just says I’m a special one, and when I wake up I’m in a hospital bed next to him just then he offers me a place with his gang and shows me what my new ability looks like.”_

_“Then somehow he already knew which was your Flame, Mukuro watched you for a while.”_ Dino’s tone made her shiver, what else could the illusionist know?

_“Dino, be honest with me. What will you do with this information I’m giving?_ ” She finally looked up and stared at his honeyed eyes in worry.

_“For now, we’ll be documenting new discoveries on the Snow Flames and investigating your story with Mukuro. Plus, we need to contact your Family.”_

_“My mom? D-do you know anything about her?”_

_“For now we are trying to contact them.”_

_“You don’t get it!”_ She blurted out, worried.

_“Where is she, then?”_ Dino’s light smile quickly changed into a raised eyebrow.

_“...In France.”_ She hesitated.

_“Oh, what is that? I’m smelling bullshit.”_ Hayato interrupted yet again.

Celeste’s brown eyes met his, nearly bursting into tears in a mix of anxiety, anger, and sadness.

_“Stop! Stop. Ever since I met you all you did was shitting on me! I’m tied to my own bed, with people I don’t fucking know nothing more than stories. Such a noble move for a mighty Vongola, shitting on my head when I’m in this fucking place!”_

Tears streamed down her face, a feeling of guilt building up in her chest as her hands reached up to cup her cheeks, letting out a long and tired sigh. Celeste felt a light weight on her feet, then heard a clicking noise, followed by Dino’s warm hand on her wrist gently putting it down on her lap.

_“ I’m sorry for putting you in this position, as your ally. We don’t know much about Mukuro’s magic either, besides the things he told you guys and...I was afraid you could be possessed again since your bond to him is stronger.”_ His hands awkwardly moved to his hair, scratching his scalp.

Celeste cleaned her face and stood silent for a few seconds, as she realized Gokudera left the room.

_“Where is he?”_

_“Gokudera went to the rooftop to smoke, I guess.”_

The silence kept playing on for a few more minutes, as Romario cleaned up the room, dishes, and gave Celeste a new set of clothing. 

_“Mukuro and the others are being kept at Vindiche, isn’t it? Why didn't they capture me as well?”_

_“Why would they? You didn’t d-...”_

_“I crafted their fake IDs so we all could travel, and before this whole mission started…”_

She gulped, dry throat and voice breaking up again.

_“Mukuro made me kill a guy. To prove my v-value to him.”_

Dino’s mouth opened in shock, as his Right-Hand Man stepped in for support.

_“If they didn’t capture you, then this is not your fault and you never broke the Mafia's honor code.”_

_“Can’t they be wrong?”_

_“Nope, the Vidiche never make mistakes.”_

She furrowed her eyebrows and decided to let this subject alone for a while.

_“In the afternoon, Reborn and the others will visit you as well.”_ With a silent nod and Romario taking her plate off the table, Celeste lays on her bed again, quite too anxious to fall asleep until her body finally gets exhausted.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

The other Japanese guy, Yamamoto, was surprisingly sweet and fun to be around. Though he still had his arm covered in bandages, he was good enough to go back to his normal life and baseball training, which he seemed excited for. As he packed his things, his conversation with Celeste was interrupted by Tsunayoshi and Reborn coming in to visit.

As everyone was waiting for Gokudera to show up, her mind started to wonder some little things: How come Yamamoto was so oblivious to the whole Mafia thing? Whenever she asked him about it, he’d laugh and act like they were playing Dungeons and Dragons with made-up criminals. 

Needless to say, having Takeshi around was refreshing and carefree, since he acted like a normal teen it was an opportunity for Celeste to feel in a way she missed; a normal schoolgirl.

But still, another little thought would plague her mind: Why Gokudera Hayato feels so familiar? His name and his silver hair, then, the more Celeste put some thought into it, she was almost sure she knew him from somewhere. Though, his sister Bianchi, who's always wearing pilot goggles was harder to put a finger on.

Her wondering is put aside when Gokudera shows up and lays on his bed, ready to listen to whatever his precious Boss and Reborn had to say.

_“So, let’s address Celeste first.”_ The Arcobaleno jumped on her bed. _“Dino already told me everything, and I’m glad you don’t have any more ties with Mukuro, he’s a dangerous man. But, we must talk about some of the inconsistencies in your story, such as your mother’s location, the Rosiello Famiglia, and a conversation you had with Gokudera right before he was chased by Chikusa.”_

_“Finally! Thank you Reborn.”_ Gokudera waved his arms, celebrating.

_“Celeste Rosiello, be honest on this,”_ Reborn demanded.

_“I stole your money so you would go back home for lunch. Sorry for that. I wanted to gather more information about you, Gokudera...But, I always felt on the wrong side, I tried to warn about Chikusa somehow so you wouldn’t go downtown and get more time to prepare for him. I know it went wrong. All I knew back then was that the Vongolas could be powerful enough to help me.”_

His face went red with anger, ears fuming and unlit cigarette crunched between his teeth, yet for once he didn’t protest Celeste's version. It seemed plausible enough.

A childish laugh broke the tension in the air, as Reborn made another demand:

_“Alright, as a way to pay for your debt with Tsuna and Gokudera, plus the hitman job, you’ll become a new subordinate for the Vongola Famiglia.”_

Feeling a bit intimidated by the Arcobaleno, she just nodded, feeling the tension build up as Gokudera sat on his bed and crossed his arms:

_"Reborn! From all people you chose her? Why?!"_

_"Young Tenth's Best Man, sometimes you won't be able to question your boss like you do with Celeste, take easy on her.”_

He grunted but preferred to stay quiet, afraid of questioning the Arcobaleno.

_“I’ll be happy to serve the Vongolas, though! But I still have my own Family.”_

_“It will take some time to reach them out, but soon enough you’ll probably go through the same as Tsuna: The battles for the-.”_

_“The what?!”_ The whole room stopped, as Reborn seemed to simply ignore their questions and fell asleep right in the spot. Though, Romario stepped in to calm down the kid’s nerves.

_“It’s sort of a dispute between possible heirs for the Family...Nothing exaggerated, you all should worry about resting now.”_

Everyone sighed in relief, except for Celeste, she already knew that nothing in the Mafia is light and breezy. Every dispute is a spectacle, especially between heirs. In the corner of her eye, she could notice Yamamoto with a grin on his face, and Gokudera trying to leave the room to smoke, trapped in a friendly chat with Tsuna and Dino as well. She notices he has thrown away the mushed cigarette in her way to join the group, Celeste could hear some laughter and sort of waited her turn to join the conversation, since Dino and Yamamoto would mostly talk about baseball.

A few minutes passed, with Tsuna and Gokudera chatting by her side yet she felt like a little goldfish out of the water, until the Tenth showed her a plastic bag on his hands, filled with mangas.

_“I thought you’d want to spend some time reading! I’m sorry if I’m a few days late with this, but you just woke up today and…”_

_“I love these! Thanks, I’ll even get a chance of practicing Japanese.”_ She smiled, taking the bag off his hands, then moving it to her bedstand. _“Just remind me of returning them later.”_

Tsuna started to freak out, intending to say she should keep the mangas, but he never got the time to say so as Dino reached out to Celeste:

_“So, how are you feeling after getting some sleep?”_

_“Way better, thanks! Now that Reborn told me I’ll just become a subordinate.”_

_“I’m glad, and about being a subordinate: don’t worry much, Tsuna sees everyone as his friends. Plus, since you’re a minor alone I’ll take care of finding an apartment next to Namimori High and keep your surname in the shadows on future documents.”_

She raised an eyebrow, as someone raised in comfort and safety Celeste never had to hide who she is, not even to the rest of the small town from Italy she spent most of her life at.

“Do you think they’re still searching for me?”

_“Hum...Now that we know who you are and you got these new powers I’m afraid the information may leak soon.”_ Dino scratched the back of his neck but returned to be assuring. _”Better safe than sorry, though.”_

She nodded, trying to imagine how much her life would change from now on and the anxiety these shifting movements bring into her chest. Dino puts a hand on her shoulder as if saying “everything will be fine”, she smiles back.

Celeste’s eyes are driven to her left, noticing that Gokudera is looking at her, with a cigarette pack on his hands and his head a bit tilted, trying to get attention. Dino is being called into another room, just as Celeste walks towards the gray-haired teen.

_“Let’s go to the rooftop, I wanna smoke.”_ It wasn’t really a long way there, but it made her legs a bit sore, it was probably the second time Celeste was able to walk a little after being asleep for a few days, her wounds still burning every now and then. Though seeming a little off character, Gokudera waited for her at the top of the stairs and once they’re on the rooftop he offers a cigarette.

_“Nah, thanks but I still want to quit.”_ He shrugs and lights up his own thing.

_“So, what’s up? Any updates on your conspiracy theories on me?”_ Oddly, Gokudera wasn’t mad or rolling his eyes, he just sighed and took a puff away from her face, with the evening cold breeze blowing the smoke and Celeste’s mockery away.

_“I guess now we’re both Vongola’s subordinates.”_ They stood there in silence for a moment before he awkwardly tried to apologize with a dry voice from the smoke. _“I didn’t want to make you cry, I thought you were a liar. Now that I know better I guess I know how it’s like to be in your shoes.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“My original Family also hates me to death.”_

The line strikes her chest and goes back until her brain reaches that little mystery that has been bothering Celeste since they met. 

_“I’m sorry to ask but, what’s your Family’s name?”_

_“I don’t like to talk about them often.”_

_“Oh.”_ Fair enough, she didn’t want to insist on a harsh subject, especially now that Gokudera seems to be a bit welcome towards her. _“I guess we can make the Vongola a less shitty Family right?”_

_“I mean, that’s not really hard.”_ They laugh, everything seems to be slowly getting better. He adds, with a playful smile. _“But don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because of your crazy powers or whatever. I’m still Tenth’s Best Man.”_

_“What you’ll want then? To trust me.”_ Celeste is quick with the answer, willing to earn the trust from him and feeling more and more welcoming inside the Family, Gokudera is a little surprised, not expecting someone to ask that so directly, so he just scoffs.

_“Not stealing my lunch money sounds like a great start.”_

The girl rolled her eyes but had a playful smile as well. Soon they decide to leave the rooftop, Celeste prefers to give him some space though, and gets straight in the shower before going to bed after a long day and read the mangas Tsuna brought.

The next thing Gokudera notices, by the time they return to their beds, is a few yen on his bedstand.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There she is! My baby !! I will certainly do Elettra and Violetta when I have the opportunity. Both @'s are from Twitter and I can't stress enough how nice and professional they were

Drawing: https://twitter.com/lcferrarezzi

Painting: https://twitter.com/estivador 


End file.
